Life is Never What You Expect
by Aunty Cat
Summary: I finished my introduction and was told I could take the seat in front of tall, dark, and handsome or Jared as the teacher had called him. Whatever his name was he was just…too much for words. Being the new girl is never an easy thing especially when you're the new girl for the second half of your senior year. Follow Kim as she gets her first best friend, boyfriend, and friends.


I don't own Twilight and never will. Just having some fun with the characters.

Leave me a review and tell me what you and Thank You.

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I'm her, you know, the girl you've always seen, but never really saw. Sad isn't it? It's always been that way so why should it change now that I've moved back to La Push. I lived there until I was five, then my parents divorced, and my mom took me to live in Seattle. It's not like it is far from La Push but at 16 years old this is the first time I've been back since their split. I'm only back now, because my stepdad took a job in Port Angeles, and mom wanted to be closer to her sisters again.

My life has been anything but exciting. Now I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that moving to boring little La Push isn't going to change that at all. It's not like it doesn't rain in Seattle but my goodness I wonder if it ever stops here. I've been here for three days and all I've seen is the drops of water falling down the pane of my window.

It's not like my life was great back in Seattle, but at least they had a bookstore I could get lost in for hours. All they have here is a half stocked library with books that are falling apart or are so worn the pages are almost see through. I'm sure when I finally make it to my first day of school in an hour La Push High's library isn't going to be any better.

I really don't want to be the new kid. I can't imagine anyone really does, but for me it's worse. I'm never going to be one of the popular kids. I'm never going to even be one of the semi-popular kids. Heck even the nerdy kids probably won't want to hang out with me. It's definitely going to be a long year here in La Push. Maybe the rest of my senior year will fly by and I can get out of here and reinvent myself in college. Yea like that will ever happen. I'll still be the same shy and awkward girl there too.

Looking at the clock on my bedside table I see it's finally time for me to head out the door and make my way to my first day of Hell…I mean school.

As I walked the long dirt road that lead to La Push High my anxiety grew. I was dreading this day. Not only was I the new girl, I was also the new girl finishing out her senior year. I can still remember the argument I had with my mom asking her why we couldn't just stay until the year was out. Of course I got the "Because were a family and family stays together answer." I wanted to respond with the "Yea, because that's what you and dad did. Right?" But of course she had raised me better than to talk to an adult like that.

Taking a deep breath I walked in to the school and looked around. As I figured my suspicion was correct. This school is tiny and I could bet I was going to stick out like a sore thumb. Great, just great.

I followed the signs to the main office were I was given my schedule and welcome to LPH. Looking at my classes I saw none were too advanced, and I could pretty much just float through the new few months until graduation.

First, second, and third periods passed with nothing exciting happening. Of course the teachers made me introduce myself and tell them something about me. I can't figure out why teachers do this. It's not like they will remember and the rest of the students really couldn't care less about me.

My day changed when I was introducing myself in my fourth period class…English to be exact. I had just gotten finish telling them my name when I made eye contact with the most beautiful boy I had ever seen in my 18 years of life. He was the tall, dark, and handsome man who ever girl dreams of seeing at least once in her life, and here he was still in my English class.

I finished my introduction and was told I could take the seat in front of tall, dark, and handsome or Jared as the teacher had called him. Whatever his name was he was just…too much for words.

As I took my seat I had the same feeling I had all day. Someone was watching me only this time I felt the intensity of it. Instead of looking around to see who it was I just ducked my head and used my hair to curtain everyone's vision of me. In one day I've gone from the girl no one ever saw to the girl people keep staring at. It's a bit much.

As class moved on, at a snail's pace, I felt a piece of paper hit me in the hand and watched as it landed on my desk.

Opening it read "Do you want to eat lunch with me and my friends today?" Frowning slightly and tilting my head I sat wondering who it was from. I looked to my left and to my right trying to figure out if I had met anyone in my earlier classes that would have wanted me to sit with them.

As I was looking forward again to see what the teacher was writing on the board another piece of paper landed on my desk. Opening it read "Sorry guess I didn't put my name on that did I? I'm going to just figure I didn't since you kind of looked confused."

Signing again as the note writer clearly didn't write their name. A third note appeared. This one just had one word written on it "Jared."

My heart nearly jumped out of my chest as I saw tall, dark, and handsome's name written on the piece of paper. Oh my goodness. He wants me to eat lunch with him…he wants _me _to eat lunch with him. Oh my…

As this thought worked its way through my head I heard someone clear their throat and I looked up to see tall…Jared looking down at me.

Rubbing the back of his head he says something but I'm too distracted to hear what he's saying. All I can see is his beautiful full lips moving. Shaking my head to clear all the cobwebs out I say the most intelligent thing ever "Huh?"

Chuckling he says "How 'bout it? Want to join me…Uh, me and my friends for lunch unless you've already decided to sit somewhere else?"

"No." I respond

Frowning he says "Oh. Sorry. Uh I guess…"

I tilted my head slightly and then realized he thought I was saying no to lunch. I smile and interrupt him "I meant no I didn't have anyone else that I'm sitting with."

With that a bright smile appears on his beautiful face. He leans forward and grabs my books and holds his hand out for me and said "Awesome. Let's go then."

"Alright." I said taking his hand, and pulling it back somewhat as I felt a spark as our skin touched. I watched Jared as we made our way to the lunchroom to see if he had felt the spark as well. He made no mention of it so I was beginning to think I had imagined it or maybe it was a jolt of static electricity.

As we walked into the lunchroom my eyes scanned the group of people who Jared as ushering me towards. "Oh my goodness…" They were enormous. I thought Jared as huge, but I think some of these guys are even bigger than he is.

I looked up and saw one of the giants smirking almost as if he had heard me but that's not possible. We were more than half a room away and I had mumbled it. Shaking that thought from my mind as we made it to the table. I was able to squeak out a "hi" and a little wave as Jared introduced me to his friends and his friends to me.

As I sat at the table with these oversized high school students my curiosity was getting to the best of me. I examined the rest of the male population of La Push High. Now were as large as the guys at this table. They were massive. Maybe they're all related somehow. Maybe cousin or have some distant relation to one another.

I was brought out of my thoughts by a nudge from Jared. Looking over to him I smiled and pulled my little bagged lunch from my bag. It wasn't much but it would have to do.

"Kim, all you have is a granola bar and a yogurt." Jared announced as I was opening my yogurt container.

I nodded and replied "Yea, this is what I normally eat for lunch. I don't eat much. I do have to go get a juice from the lunch line though." I was always to self-conscience to eat in front of people. So I found the perfect combination of food that would keep me full until I would get home from school and grab a snack before dinner.

Shaking his head as he rose "I'm going to grab some lunch do you want me to get your drink while I'm up there?" I nodded as I handed him the dollar that was in my hand before he headed off leaving me with just his friends.

Gulping down the bite of granola bar I just took I gazed up under my eyelashes to see smirking guy watching at me. Quickly I moved my eyes back to stare at my peach flavored yogurt. I put my spoon in the little cup and mixed the fruit on the bottom with the rest of the vanilla yogurt.

I was feeling antsy as I waited for Jared to return with my juice. I didn't really know the people I was sitting with. Heck, I didn't even really know Jared. I had just sat in front of him for 50 minutes in an English class.

I was seriously thinking about running from my seat when Jared returned to the table with his…holy crap. How can one person eat so much? He's has two burger, a piece of pizza, fruit cups, chicken nuggets, and who knows what else underneath it all.

He sits my juice down in front of me, gives a quick smile, and starts to inhale his lunch. I don't even think I've ever seen someone eat so much and so quickly in my entire life. Peering back down at my little lunch I reach forward and open the fruit juice Jared brought back for me.

For the next few minute the table is completely silent except for the sounds of chewing. Then all of a sudden Jared turns to me breaking the silence and causing me to let out a pathetic girly squeal. This also triggered the rest of the guys at the table and a few people from neighboring tables to stare at me.

The smirker from earlier started to laugh while Jared watched me with concern in his eyes. What he was so concerned about was beyond me. All I did was get surprised when he broke the quietness of the lunch table.

"Sorry, about that. I guess I was in my own world and you startled me." I smiled up at him as I finished my sentence and grabbed my juice bottle again.

He nodded, smiled, and finally said "Oh okay. So how's your first day at LPH going?" Jared had a smile that could put any stars brightness to shame. It was beautiful and blinding.

I shrugged "It's alright. I just hate being the new girl. Everyone's been nice, but it's still hard. It's not like I'm going to be able to make any long-term friends even if anyone wanted to be friends with me. There's only a few months left of my senior year. You know?"

A serious expression formed on his face as he bobbed his head. "Yea, I guess I never really thought about that."

Again I just shrugged as he continued to talk "But that doesn't mean that I'm not going to try my hardest for us to be friends." The blinding smile had appeared back on his perfect face.

All I could do was smile back at him. Maybe Jared would be my first true friend. I wasn't really sure how that was supposed to work though. Could guys and girls be friends?

The next few months passed in a blur of laughs, fun times, and crazy antics. Jared had become my best friend and eventually my boyfriend. I had also gotten closer to the rest of the guys who sat at the table. We all hung out on weekends having bonfires or when the weather was warm enough just spending the day soaking up the sun on First Beach. My life had become something I had never thought possible but with graduation approaching I knew everything was going to change.

I had been accepted to most of the schools I had applied for. I still hadn't told Jared I wouldn't be going to the community college in Port Angeles. I know we had talked about it but it's not where I had dreamed of going. I had secretly accepted my place at the University of California, the Los Angeles campus. I needed to go and experience life. I had fallen in love with Jared but how many girls actually stay with their first boyfriend? I had to go and get an education. I couldn't let a guy hold me back even if I loved him more than I thought possible. This was my future, and I had always let life pass me by but not this time.

I knew I was being a coward by not telling him but I didn't want to lose the friends I had made and I didn't want to lose Jared. However, graduation was today and we were having a special bonfire tonight. I wasn't sure what was going to make it so special. I laughed when Jared kept emphasizing how special it was going to be. I figured it was because we were graduating and all but who knows. Sometimes Jared's a bit weird. I don't always feel like I'm getting the whole story with him but it's not like I think he's lying to me. I just get the feeling I'm missing something important. I have my own things to tell him tonight too so I can't say I'm not leaving something out of our discussions either.

Graduation day passed with the normal embarrassing family moments. My mom cried, my aunts cried, and my little siblings goofed all the whole time. My dad, whom I had gotten to know better, showed up with his wife and their two kids. It was nice to see my whole family together for the first time ever. I had never seen all six of my half brothers and sisters together before. It was a little weird being as they were all related to me but my mom's kids weren't related to my dad's kids. I had been there to see the kids my mom and stepdad had together grow up but I missed that with my dad's two. I knew what they looked like because I had my dad over the years and he had come up to Seattle a few times over the 10 years I lived there but it just wasn't the same.

Anyway, after graduation had ended we had made our way to Second Beach for the party we were having. The bonfire was set for much later after all the family members had gone home and just our normal group was left. I was looking forward to it. It's been over a month since we got together as a group. With finals, the end of school, and the long weekend where everyone else but me had plans to be out-of-town, I needed this. I know this was probably going to be my last happy night with Jared. I had to tell him tonight that I was leaving for California at the end of the summer.

The party was perfect. My two families got along great. My little siblings from both sides played together. I of course got lots of pictures of them together. I didn't know if this would ever happen again, and it would be nice to have group shots of them together for when I leave for college. Jared and I were practically inseparable. My aunts had asked if we had been joined at the hip by doctors right after the graduation ceremony. We both just laughed and kept on with the fun of the day.

As the sky began to darken the adults began to leave telling us not to have too much fun. As always the rules were still in place. I needed to be home by midnight and under no circumstances should I walk home alone. I just nodded and told them I knew the rules. With that they left us to ourselves.

I wasn't sure if I wanted to tell Jared now or wait until the end of the bonfire to tell him. However, before I could make my decision it was made for me. I had thought all the adults had left but I was wrong. The elders of the tribe had stayed. I was a little confused as to why. They had never stayed for our bonfires. They had called for our attention and had asked that we each take a sit around the fire.

As we sat the elders began to tell the history of our tribe and how we came to be. It was a story I had heard but not in sure great detail. I was sure that most of the tribe could tell you these stories by heart, but since I wasn't raised here I was a little rusty on some of the details.

When they started the stories on the Great Protectors I could feel the air change. It was as if the area grew more silent and everyone was sitting up straighter. I couldn't understand what made the change in the air but it was a bit eerie. As soon as the stories had concluded all eyes were suddenly on me. I was starting to worry. Did I miss something or was I supposed to say something?

"Kim." Jared started, but stopped to look over at Chief Black before starting again. "Kim, the stories are true."

I rolled my eyes at him "I know how the tribe started Jared. Oh course that's true. Just because I didn't grow up here doesn't mean I don't know how my tribe was founded."

"No Kim." He said shaking his head. "The part about the Great Protectors that's the part I'm telling you is true. Me, us…" He gestured to everyone around us. "…is a shape shifter or a Great Protector."

I titled my head side to side trying to figure out what he was playing at. As I told him I knew the stories but this was just insane. Then it hit me "You're trying to break up with me aren't you? That's why you're telling me this crazy idea about it all being true. Dear Spirits, Jared, if you wanted to break up with me you could have just said it. You didn't need to get the chief and everyone else involved." I stood up trying to put distance between us.

He shouts "Kim! That's not what I'm trying to do. I can't leave you."

"What do you mean you can't leave me? We're 18 and not married or anything." I asked not knowing what he was talking about.

Signing he responses "Part of being a wolf means you find an imprint, your soul mate or other half. You're mine. When I saw you that first day in class I imprinted on you. You're it for me. I haven't been able to see another girl since I looked into your eyes. The wolf can be anything the imprint wants. I can be your lover, brother, or just your friend. You already have seen the imprint in action. Sam and Emily are imprinted."

I back away even further "Are you kidding me? This is just insane. Stop lying to me. Wolves and imprints… that's just…" As I was trying to find the right words a sandy brown wolf the size of a horse came trotting out of the nearby wooded area. With that I let out a scream and took off running. This can't be happening. Maybe I've finally lost my mind after all these years of being awkward. Maybe I'm in some kind of weird dream. What did I watch before I went to bed? It had to of been something scary. I had to be dreaming, right? This has to be a bad dream, but as I saw my house I knew it wasn't. This was a real life nightmare.

I made it home in what felt like seconds. I ran in and locked the door behind me. I then proceeded to run up the stairs and into my bedroom. I can't believe this. Where the hell did I move to? The better question is what the hell is wrong with these people, my people. I don't understand what just happened. If the wolves were real then that means what Jared told me about imprinting is real. Oh my goodness if the stories on the wolves were real then that means…oh hell then vampires were real.

I couldn't think anymore I needed to…I don't know what I needed to do but I couldn't deal with this anymore tonight.


End file.
